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mr quick
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mr quick
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Yeah, you make a fair point. I'm not entirely sold on it because of how it might limit the sonic possibilities of a good guitar, but in the right hands it might be interesting. But then, the guitar might not be as focal... I'd rather be a duo

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El Dildo
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El Dildo
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yeah the only real problem I have with it is that it empowers the 'one-man band' concept, which is what everyone is trying to do nowadays with their loop pedals and cross mixing their own playing / vocals on different instruments. which is fine and all. but I'm too old fashioned for that. I want to see multiple people coming together and playing live; working off of each other and creating something in the moment.

I want to play with a separate drum and bassist, not just tap my own drum and bass midi notes.

like I think the ACPAD is pretty cool if you just don't have anyone to play with and you're dicking around on your own arrangements at least.

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bloatedsack
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bloatedsack
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Goodbye, Muff; hello Carcosa. Been watching for a Pharaoh or Team Awesome, but I couldn't pass up 20% off and free shipping plus it's the darling of the Internet, this week.

Now, the chaos of trying to figure where to put a single pedal into a stereo input chain. Currently one pup goes to a DOD250 and then wah, other goes to a Holy Fire OD, then muff, then everything gets summed together and sent to amp.

I think this replaces both HF and Muff, but I need to see what stacking does.

I've attached some foam(using steel wire) between the TP and bridge, but haven't gotten to try it amped yet.

I took the guitar to the store where I bought it(which is also my workplace now hehe) and the technician who himself had planned to buy it remarked that it sounded "unfocused" compared to when it was new. The only real change of course has been the 011 flats, but the issue is most present in the unwound strings, which aren't all that different from the 010's with which it shipped. I'm not sure how to fix this without drastically changing the sound of the guitar

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bloatedsack
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bloatedsack
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It's what flatwounds do. I don't know why people would choose flats for a sixer, but it's your taste, not mine.

I assume the metal content for an "unwound flat" must be somewhat different than a "unwound round," which is how you manage to pull that dead sound into winky little guitar strings.

My only other suggestion is the nonsensical response of witness the strings, push down hard on either side where they cross the nut and whatever bridge or saddles or tailpeice you'e got on the other end. I, personally, think it's BS but lots of people I've spoken with swear by it.

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El Dildo
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El Dildo
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Very nice, man! Cool with the pearloid pickguard What version is this? How does it play/how's the neck? GIVE ME INFORMATION

I believe it's one of the Mexican made Strats from the 80s.

neck feels silky smooth and the fret plays easy. it's not quite as super-buttery smooth as the PRS, but the fret and the strings definitely play as well. very solid. takes a blues beating, then still plays metal in tune, or kicks into a clean funk without twanging or buzzing. PRS is still king at the moment. maybe I'll try to record a short clip of it this week. I'm really enjoying it.

but now that I bought this thing I'm about to commence a short shopping spree.

I'm itching to update the amp. bored with the Yamaha. looking at some vintage Vox ACs. warm tubes. having the Strat makes me want to go and get a Telecaster soon next.

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mr quick
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mr quick
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It's what flatwounds do. I don't know why people would choose flats for a sixer, but it's your taste, not mine.

I assume the metal content for an "unwound flat" must be somewhat different than a "unwound round," which is how you manage to pull that dead sound into winky little guitar strings.

That's what was so strange about it, the high E was an Elixir 011.

(Unrelated re: string choice: I dig the feel of flats and the lack of string noise.)

...so I took my amp downstairs to side-by-side it with my father's identical amp. Plugged in my favorite pedal (Wampler Ecstasy Overdrive). There was no problem. Tried the SY-300 for multi-effects. No problem.

Turns out that there must be something whack about where I'd placed the amp. Not sure what, though. Guess I'll try putting it somewhere else

Very nice, man! Cool with the pearloid pickguard What version is this? How does it play/how's the neck? GIVE ME INFORMATION

I believe it's one of the Mexican made Strats from the 80s.

neck feels silky smooth and the fret plays easy. it's not quite as super-buttery smooth as the PRS, but the fret and the strings definitely play as well. very solid. takes a blues beating, then still plays metal in tune, or kicks into a clean funk without twanging or buzzing. PRS is still king at the moment. maybe I'll try to record a short clip of it this week. I'm really enjoying it.

but now that I bought this thing I'm about to commence a short shopping spree.

I'm itching to update the amp. bored with the Yamaha. looking at some vintage Vox ACs. warm tubes. having the Strat makes me want to go and get a Telecaster soon next.

The Vox AC combos seems to be very popular among the blues crowd, at least here. John Scofield swears by the vintage ones.

If vintage ones are hard to come by, I've got a new amp I'd really like to recommend:

Fender Bassbreaker 15 Combo. You won't believe me until you try it. I'll take one over a Hot Rod, even. Honest to god, if I end up wanting a new tube amplifier, I'm ordering a Bassbreaker 15.

The "structure" switch is great fun. I personally prefer it on "mid" to get that dirty breakup without muddying up the sound. Since Fender are breaking away from their usual form with this one, the bass control actually DOES SOMETHING, and the "built-in" distortion is great! It's got an effects loop as well.

I absolutely adore the Bassbreaker. It's such a solid amplifier. You should really try one if you get a chance to!

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mr quick
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mr quick
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Ebony fretboard & bridge, floating "magic touch-mini" pickup, and a lovely aesthetic. It looks like a mix of an L5 Studio, a Victor Baker, and a D'Aquisto imo. Can't wait to find out more about it, although I hope it's not so wallet-friendly that I end up ordering one.

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mr quick
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mr quick
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Word around the block is Larry Coryell just died. From Julian Coryell's Facebook:

NEW YORK – Legendary guitarist Larry Coryell died on Sunday, February 19 in New York City. Coryell, 73, passed away in his sleep at his hotel from natural causes. He’d performed his last two shows on Friday and Saturday, February 17 and 18, at the Iridium in New York City.

As one of the pioneers of jazz-rock -- perhaps the pioneer in the ears of some (he’s known to many as the Godfather of Fusion) -- Larry Coryell deserves a special place in the history books. He brought what amounted to a nearly alien sensibility to jazz electric guitar playing in the 1960s, a hard-edged, cutting tone, phrasing and note-bending that owed as much to blues, rock and even country as it did to earlier, smoother bop influences.

Yet as a true eclectic, armed with a brilliant technique, he was comfortable in almost every style, covering almost every base from the most decibel-heavy, distortion-laden electric work to the most delicate, soothing, intricate lines on acoustic guitar.

Born in Galveston, Texas on April 2, 1943 Coryell grew up in the Seattle, Washington area where his mother introduced him to the piano at the age of 4. He switched to guitar and played rock music while in his teens. He didn't consider himself good enough to pursue a music career and studied journalism at The University of Washington while simultaneously taking private guitar lessons.

By 1965 he had relocated to New York City and began taking classical guitar lessons which would figure prominently in the later stages of his career. Although citing Chet Atkins and Chuck Berry as early influences he also took cues from jazzmen such as John Coltrane and Wes Montgomery. He was also inspired by the popular music of the day by The Beatles, The Byrds and Bob Dylan and worked diligently to meld both rock and jazz stylings into his technique. This was reflected on his debut recording performance on drummer Chico Hamilton's album The Dealer where he sounded like Chuck Berry at times with his almost distorted "fat" tone.

In 1966 he formed a psychedelic band called The Free Spirits on which he also sang vocals, played the sitar and did most of the composing. Although conceptually the band's music conformed to the psychedelic formula with titles like "Bad News Cat" and" I'm Gonna Be Free" it foreshadowed jazz-rock fusion with more complex soloing by Coryell and sax/flute player Jim Pepper.However, it wasn't until three years later after apprenticing on albums by vibraphonist Gary Burton and flutist Herbie Mann and gigging with the likes of Jack Bruce and others that Coryell established his multifarious musical voice, releasing two solo albums (Lady Coryell and Coryell) which mixed jazz, classical and rock ingredients.

In late 1969 he recorded Spaces, the album for which he is most noted. It was a guitar blow-out which also included John McLaughlin who was also sitting on the fence between rock and jazz at the time and the cogitative result formed what many aficionados consider to be the embryo from which the fusion jazz movement of the 1970s emerged. It contained insane tempos and fiery guitar exchanges which were often beyond category not to mention some innovating acoustic bass work by Miroslav Vitous and power drumming by Billy Cobham, both of whom were to make contributions to jazz-rock throughout the 70s.

His career as a significant guitar force in the era of late 60s and early 70s music continued to take flight in a time when guitarists such as Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Carlos Santana and many other iconic names also blossomed. His varied musical expression took him on a diverse journey, and though he did not receive the level of commercial fame some of his guitarist contemporaries enjoyed, he was still able to make his timeless mark in music through his highly acclaimed solo work (he released well over 60 solo albums), his performances with powerhouse fusion band The Eleventh House and numerous collaborations with a host of jazz greats including of Miles Davis, Gary Burton, Alphonse Mouzon, Ron Carter, Chet Baker and many other noteworthy artists of all styles.

Larry still toured the world right up until his passing and had planned an extensive 2017 summer tour with a reformed The Eleventh House.His most recent releases are Barefoot Man: Sanpaku, released on October 14, 2016 on Cleopatra Records and an upcoming Eleventh House release, entitled Seven Secrets, which will be released on the Savoy Jazz label on June 2.

His final original works included operas based on Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace, Anna Karenina and James Joyce's Ulysses.

He is survived by his wife, Tracey, his daughter Annie, his sons Murali and Julian, and his daughter Allegra, as well as six grandchildren.

A memorial service is being planned Friday February 24th at the S.G.I-USA Buddhist center at 7 east 15th St. at 7 p.m.

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Shaytan
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Shaytan
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Got myself a new amp for practicing, a much needed upgrade after selling my old and very basic Squier one.

I know, Valvestates aren't everyone's cup of tea, but it sounds really good imo, it suits my needs for practicing, it's good old all analog stuff and makes enough power to fill my family's apartment with music, without filling the neighbours' as well.

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Shaytan
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Shaytan
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I've bought an Epiphone SG-400 yesterday to go with my new amp. I was considering a new guitar for some time now, mostly because I tend to play classic rock most of the time and so a set of humbuckers would come in handy. I was looking towards an Epiphone LP Standard because it was somewhat affordable, offered way better build quality than my current Strat and i also wanted an hardtail style guitar - then realized the SG-400s sell for half the price yet offer the same hardware.

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The_Shape_
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The_Shape_
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I've bought an Epiphone SG-400 yesterday to go with my new amp. I was considering a new guitar for some time now, mostly because I tend to play classic rock most of the time and so a set of humbuckers would come in handy. I was looking towards an Epiphone LP Standard because it was somewhat affordable, offered way better build quality than my current Strat and i also wanted an hardtail style guitar - then realized the SG-400s sell for half the price yet offer the same hardware.

Nice score! I had one just like that. Those SG400's are great guitars.

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Shaytan
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Shaytan
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Thanks dude! I've been loving it so far... apart from the fact I noticed a crack on the finish around the neck joint (which I noticed when checking it out but ignored it at first as it didn't seem to go all around) that is really bothering me. It's barely noticeable but I'm too worried it'll get worse over time, or even worse, that it a bigger problem than just the finish and affected the structural integrity of the joint and it end up getting loose at some point. I applied some gentle force on it and looked carefully and the crack didn't moved at all, but I can't be too sure...

After a lot of investigation it seems usual on SGs mainly if it gets an hit (and yes, the headstock is totally fine, I carefully examined it before buying) but I'll call tomorrow a local guitar store of my trust to know if they are any good with luthier works and if necessary how much would it cost me to inject some glue if necessary and give a touch-up on the finish - or if I'd do better getting rid of it and looking for one in better condition.

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The_Shape_
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The_Shape_
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Thanks dude! I've been loving it so far... apart from the fact I noticed a crack on the finish around the neck joint (which I noticed when checking it out but ignored it at first as it didn't seem to go all around) that is really bothering me. It's barely noticeable but I'm too worried it'll get worse over time, or even worse, that it a bigger problem than just the finish and affected the structural integrity of the joint and it end up getting loose at some point. I applied some gentle force on it and looked carefully and the crack didn't moved at all, but I can't be too sure...

After a lot of investigation it seems usual on SGs mainly if it gets an hit (and yes, the headstock is totally fine, I carefully examined it before buying) but I'll call tomorrow a local guitar store of my trust to know if they are any good with luthier works and of necessary would would it cost me to inject some glue if necessary and give a touch-up on the finish - or if I'd do better getting rid of it and looking for a better one.

That sucks. The good thing about those guitars is that they are pretty easy to sell and new ones are dirt cheap.

Does yours have the pull out volume knobs that split the pickups into single coils? My black one like yours was an older one, 2008 I think and it didn't have it, but I bought an SG400 1966 Limited Reissue in 2015 and it had the feature.

Also if you can get the cash I'd recommend the Epi Les Paul Standard. I had a Standard Plus Top Pro in Vintage Sunburst and it was a very nice, solid guitar. The only reason I sold it was because I found that I didn't like playing Les Pauls.

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Shaytan
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Shaytan
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You're referring to the Pro version, mine doesn't have the coil splitting feature. I got it for a very good price (130 euros with new strings and bag) and I really like it so it kinda saddens me to sell right after... Mostly because most of these around are the Cherry version I don't like the finish as much. If the guys at the store have any experience with it I'll probably tomorrow take it for them to have a look, if they say the problem is worse than it seems I'll try to sell it back.

About an LP, I initially thought about it but they sell for twice the price for the same hardware, I don't think a different (heavier and less ergonomic) body is worth the extra cash.

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The_Shape_
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The_Shape_
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You're referring to the Pro version, mine doesn't have the coil splitting feature. I got it for a very good price (130 euros with new strings and bag) and I really like it so it kinda saddens me to sell right after... Mostly because most of these around are the Cherry version I don't like the finish as much. If the guys at the store have any experience with it I'll probably tomorrow take it for them to have a look, if they say the problem is worse than it seems I'll try to sell it back.

About an LP, I initially thought about it but they sell for twice the price for the same hardware, I don't think a different (heavier and less ergonomic) body is worth the extra cash.

I like the black better than the Cherry too. My 1966 reissue was Pelham Blue. I like that color as well, but black is my favorite.

I agree on the Les Paul. I only mentioned it because you mentioned you were looking at them. The Les Paul I had was a beautiful guitar, but I agree with you. They are very heavy. Mine was 10 lbs and it became quite a load playing shows for 4 hours and I like the double cut away that the SG has. Once you started getting to the higher frets it became kind of rough. That's why SG's and Stratocasters are my favorite guitars.

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Shaytan
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Shaytan
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UPDATE: the guitar got checked today by a luthier and he concluded the damage was just aesthetic and couldn't have affected either the wood or the glue's strength. Well, I think I can sleep well now, but the crack still *cracks* me. Maybe soon enough I'll learn to ignore it. Maybe, being as stubborn as I am, I'll end up attempting to repair it - the famous last words "it doesn't seem that hard". Maybe I'll end up finding someone willing to pay more for it than what I paid and search for a better one. I don't know, but at least I can relax it won't break at some point.

Not that I dislike the guitar, but it really bogs me the fact it has that little damage. There are some guys willing to pay a big buck for a custom shop, pre aged and damaged Strat, but I prefer to keep my stuff in immaculate condition. If I got that fixed I'd call it a keeper, but otherwise it's just... there... even if nobody notices it, I know it is.

Well, if I end up going ahead for a DIY repair, I'll first wait to finish my college exams and then look for a broken guitar body or a really trashy guitar with the same type of finish of mine, then head to the local hardware store and get some lacquer (still doing research on what's best for my case), diluent and wet sandpaper. I then could use the broken body/trashy guitar to experiment with and learn how to fix cracks (if it didn't had any, I could always make my own ). I'm sure that's not exactly rocket science but assuming I could reliably fix it without looking like a POS redneck repair, if and when I'd feel comfortable with it I'd move on for my guitar. If everything went well, I'd end up with a fixed guitar looking as new, it would then have a special meaning for me considering the hours spent repairing it myself - and I'd then know a skill any luthier would charge a nice buck for.

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The_Shape_
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The_Shape_
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That's good that it doesn't affect the playability. I know how it is to have dings or imperfections bother you. My main guitar is a Gibson SG Standard. A few months ago my band was playing a show and when we were finished I put it on the stand so I could start tearing my amp down. I must not have had it on the stand as well as I though I did and it fell off. There was a chip in the headstock. I just got to where it doesnt bother me anymore.